Locking mechanism for levers.



G. C. JENSEN.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR LEVERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, I917.

ra s. Apr. 9, 1918.

WITNESS.- IN VEN TOR.

wfm

nn'r orator,

G'EGRGE C. JENSEN, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Apr. d, 191%.

application filed November 27, 1917. Serial No. 204,287.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, (lnonor. C. JENSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at ()akland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Locking Mechanism for Lovers, of which. the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a locking mechanism for levers employed in connection with the gear shifting mechanism of a motor driven vehicle, and wherein the lever is moved laterally on its pivotal point for selective engagement with the shittablc elements, and is moved at right angles to. said line of selective movement for operating said shiftable elements.

The invention has for its principal 0bjeets to provide locking blocks movable to each side of the lever to prevent lateral selective movement of the same; to provide a construction wherein these locking blocks are rotatably' supported on the pivotal supporting shaft of the lever, and one wherein said locking blocks are capable of being locked from movement in operative position.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the preferred embodiment of my invention with the blocks moved into operative posi tion and taken on line l-l of Fig. 2, of the drawings.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on lines 2-2 of 1, illustrating; in dotted lines the locking blocks in inoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 Referring more particularly to the several views of the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts, the numeral 1, indicates a suitable tubular open topped supporting easing transversely of which extends a supporting shaft rotatably mounted at its ends in the side walls of said casin with one end, of said shaft projecting beyond said casing and mounting on its end the operating handle 3. Supported by said shaft within its lengt; is a suitable operating lever 4 provided with an opening 5 through which said shaft extends, the Walls of said opening flaring from the center outwardly toward each side thereof, as at 6. Thus the lever l is capable of lateral swinging movement on the shaft 2, and of pivotal movement axially of the same.

Suit-able springs 7, carried by the shaft 2, and depending therefrom, one at each side of the lever a, maintain the lever in an upright position on said shaft,

Hotata ily supported ith the shaft and positioned one at each side of the lever adjacent its fulcrum point, are the locking blocks 8, which are adapted on the rotation of the shaft, by the operating handle 3, to lie one at each side thereof, preferably above said shaft, thereby preventing lateral moven'ient of the lever on its fulcrum.

It is desirable to lock the shaft from rotation when the locking blocks 8 are moved into operative position, as in the drawings, and to accomplish this purpose any suitable mechanism may be eiuployed. That illustrated includes a rotatable locking bolt 9- positioned within a vertical bore 10 within the side wall of the supporting casing 1, and said bolt is provided with a depression 11 for receiving the solid portion of the shaft 2 which intersects said locking bolt, and when said shaft is received in said depression, the shaft is capable of rotation. lhe shaft is also provided with a depression 12 for receiving the solid portion"13 of the locking bolt.9 on the rotation of the locking bolt, as in Fig. 3 of the drawings, at whicn time rotative movement of the shaft prevented and the lever is loclred from. lateral swinging movement.

Asuitable lock controlled mechanisni oon Yrols the rotation of the bolt 9, and the same includes a locking barrel rotatably mounted in a casing 15 and carrying on its lower end a tongue 16 for engagement with the tongue 17 and extended upwardly from the bolt 9.

On the rotation of the key controlled bar rel acne-quarter revolution, the tongue 16 will engage its cooperating tongue 17 and cause. a one-quarter rotation of the bolt 9, withdrawing the solid portion thereof frohi the recess 12, thereby permitting rotation of the shaft 2 to throw the locking blocks into inoperative position, as in dotted lines Fig. 9 of the drawings. When it is again desired to throw the blocks into operative position, as in Fig. 1, rotation ofrthe shaft- 2, by the operating, handle 3 accomplishes this purpose, and on the depression. 2 of the shaft alining with the bolt 9, a spring 18 co- Mill operating with the bolt to rotate the same, automatically throws the bolt into locked position, as in the drawing.

A suitable closure 19 is positioned over the upper open end of the casing 1 and is formed with an opening 20 through which the lever extends, the opening being covered by a suitable cap 21, carried by the lever and movable therewith.

It will be apparent that in the present construction I provide a locking means for a lever capable of movement in planes at right angles to each other, and when said locking means is in operative position the movement of said lever in one of said planes is 'n-ecluded.

lla'ving thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a lever pivotally mounted for l'l'lOVQl'IlQllt in two planes at right angles to each other, an axially rotatable shaft, and a pair of locking blocks carried in spaced relation on said shaft and capable of simultaneous movement on the rotation of said shaft to opposite sides of the lever to lock the same from movement in one'plane.

2. The combination with a lever pivotally mounted for movement in two planes at right angles to each other, a rotatable shaft supporting said lever and on which the same is fulcrumed, a locking block fixed to said shaft at each side of said lever and capable of simultaneous movement to engage ment with opposite sides of the lever to lock the same from movement in one plane.

3. T he combination with a lever pivotally mounted for movement in two planes at right angles to each other, a rotatable shaft passing through said lever and on which the same is fulcrumed, a pair of lockin blocks fixed to said shaft and positioned one at each side of said lever and capable of simultaneous movement on the rotation of said shaft to engage the opposite side of the lever to lock the same from movement in one plane, and means cooperating with said shaft for automatically locking the same from movement on its rotation to position said blocks in looking engagement with the lever.

4. The combination with a tubular support, an axially rotatable shaft extendin transversely therethrough, a lever with sai support and provided with an opening through which said shaft passes and relatively to which said lever is capable of pivotal movement in two planes at right angles to each other, a pair of locking blocks fixed to and rotatable with said sha t at opposite sides of said lever and capable of simultaneous movement on the rotation of said shaft to engage opposite sides of said lever to lock the same from pivotal movement in one plane and means for locking said block in operative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE C. JENSEN.

Witnesses HARRY A. TOTTEN, D. B. RICHARDS. 

